Former Something Corporate frontman Andrew McMahon takes his new project Jack's Mannequin on the road after a fight with Leukemia failed to drown his spirits. Jen Cray reports a vibe of hope at his warm-up Orlando gig.

Interviews

The San Diego metal act As I Lay Dying are gearing up to headline the annual metal smorgasbord- Sounds of the Underground- this summer. Lead singer Tim Lambesis took a moment during a rare week at home to chat with Jen Cray about the band's past, present, and future.

Straight out of the Philly music scene, Fooling April is probably one of the best kept secrets--and not for long. Brian Kenneth talks about the band's summer plans, American Idol Underground and the worst karoke songs ever.

With the release of their new album, Teetering on the Edge, New Jersey's the Medium chatted with Brittany Sturges about their first show, the Battle of the Bands, Prince and -- oh yea, their favorite fruit.

Okay, you armchair trekkers, the time has come to cut the tags from those hiking boots, swallow your malaria pills, and beat the bush. A new collection of traveler's tales that illuminate our shared humanity invites its readers to experience the real thing. The only tough part is beating Bob Pomeroy to the mailbox.

Isn't everything we need to know about Proust in his cycle In Search of Lost Time? Not by a long shot. Eric J. Iannelli finds that the correspondence in the newly reissued Letters of Marcel Proust offers a great way to separate the man from his work.

Do you have sex? Do you have a job? Congratulations! You're an expert in l'amour, at least according to a self-help (ahem) guide from the Nerve.com folks. But rest assured their sources carry more cred than whoever's briefing Carl F Gauze on making the beast with two backs.

Dream the possible dream! Go the extra millimeter! The stars? Reach for the popcorn bowl instead. If you've lowered your expectations and still have trouble meeting them, this how-not-to guide to achievement is a must-read. Better yet, ease back into that familiar-looking groove on the couch and let Carl F Gauze sum it up in three easy-to-swallow paragraphs.

How does a good church-going girl from Nashville end up launching a bad-girl look that's still imitated fifty years later? Carl F Gauze fills us in on this biopic of the rightfully (if unwittingly) notorious Bettie Page